Courtesy of Yale Outdoors

Early Saturday morning, Yale Outdoors hosted its 15th annual Polar Plunge, inviting students to brave freezing temperatures and take part in the outing club’s famous tradition.

The Polar Plunge, which started in 2010, involves students gathering along the beach at Lighthouse Point before running downhill into the ice-cold waters of the Long Island Sound.

“No one knows what incentivized a bunch of college kids to jump in freezing cold water, but nevertheless, it has become a fun tradition each winter,” said Andy Tan ’27, co-president of Yale Outdoors. 

Before the plunge, Yale Outdoors arranged travel groups of four to five students to facilitate transportation from campus to the beach. Participants met at Phelps Gate at 9:30 a.m. before sharing Ubers to Lighthouse Point. Once there, students regrouped at a designated location along the beach. 

Yale Outdoors also recruited students with cars on campus to facilitate transportation for the event.

“One of the main goals of Yale Outdoors is to help connect students with people they may have never met,” said Tan. “These transportation groups are part of this mission, in addition to making the trips cheaper.”

After students had arrived at the beach and changed into their polar-plunging outfits, organizers from Yale Outdoors rallied the eager Yalies, instructing them to spread out into a horizontal line along the beach.

On a count of three, about 70 Yalies ran towards the frigid waters, screaming and plunging into the Long Island Sound.

“It was a shock to the nervous system, for sure,” said Alexis Ramirez-Hardy ’26 following the plunge. “I didn’t even get my head under, because my body instantly rejected the water.”

Michael Batten ’27, who also participated in this year’s plunge, said that hitting the water was also “a total shock to your nervous system” and that “you instantly lose all control of your fine motor functions.”

This year, the water in the New Haven Harbor where students were plunging into, was 34 degrees, one of the coldest temperatures in the Polar Plunge’s history. 

Because of the frigid temperatures, Yale Outdoors officers required students to abide by a “1-Minute Rule,” where students, after entering the water, had to return to the shoreline and warm up within a minute. Before the Polar Plunge, students were also required to sign a waiver to take part and wear water shoes or flip-flops to protect themselves against the “roughness” of the beach.

“I did the plunge last year, and it was one of the many highlights of my second semester,” said Tan. “I remember waking up in the morning and seeing my suitemates return from the gym. As they headed into the showers, I said, ‘If you are going to get wet anyway, would you want to jump into the ocean?’ It was so sweet to share this moment with them.”

Quinn Luong ’26 told the News that he was initially hesitant to take part in the tradition. However, after debating the idea, he realized that because he hadn’t been “much of a daredevil at Yale,” he wanted to “do something crazy for once” and do the Polar Plunge.

After running into the water, Luong found the water to be “strangely warm for a second, even though it was freezing cold.” He added that it felt like his toes “were going to fall off.”

“It felt amazing, you know,” said Will Wolf ’27, who took part in the Plunge. “I’m not a person who drinks coffee, but if I did, I’d imagine that’s what it feels like. I feel alive right now, I feel awake. It’s great.”

While Yale Outdoors traditionally hosts a pancake breakfast at Davenport College following the Polar Plunge, the Yale Outdoors officers opted to immediately serve hot coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts — which some students affectionately nicknamed “Plungin’ Donuts” — to warm up students instead.

Jake Knowles ’28, who wore a polar bear outfit for the Polar Plunge, told the News that the Plunge has given him “a mad respect” for the ducks swimming in the ice-cold waters of the New Haven Harbor.

“The Polar Plunge is always a fun time. People are taking photos on their digi cameras. Music is playing. Vibes are immaculate,” said Tan.

In spring 2009, Yale Outdoors was reorganized into an umbrella organization, encompassing all outing clubs at Yale.